Blood and Tears
by leith
Summary: I can remember it all so clearly, now, at the end. We were just having fun. Never realising that everything would soon be over.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:**Blood and Tears

**Disclaimer:** Andromeda doesn't belong to me; it belongs to Tribune. This was written for entertainment only and no money has been exchanged (unfortunately).

**Spoilers:**None

**Rating:**PG-13

**A/N:**Okay, you have Fwe to thank/blame for this. She gave me an idea and somehow this grew out of it. It's set early S2 and from Rommie's POV.

All the great things are simple,

And many can be expressed in a single word:

Freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy,

Hope.

Winston Churchill, Earth

**Chapter 1**

I can remember it all so clearly, now, at the end. We were just having fun. Never realising that everything would soon be over. I never saw the tragedy coming until it was too late, and in that, I failed them.

"Thank you, Mr. Ambassador," said Dylan, ever the diplomat, "the evening has been wonderful. Now, we really must be going back to our ship. No, not even one more dance. We'll continue talks tomorrow then? Good night."

"I never thought we would get out of there, I don't think I could stand to wear this dress for any longer," complained Beka lightly.

"I'm with you there, Beka," said Harper, "I think this tie is starting to get tighter. Mind you, I'm not complaining about all the cute girls."

"What, you mean the ones who always seemed to be slowly sidling away from you?" Beka laughed.

"Yeah, real funny. They just can't appreciate my genius."

Tyr let out something which sounded suspiciously like a snort and even Dylan and I were smirking.

"You could wait until we're at least back to the Maru before you start complaining. This planet could be very useful to the commonwealth. The Passetlitten have an amazingly stable economy and government." Dylan said, but he was still smiling.

"Uh, boss? You're forgetting the little problem of the Libertarians."

"All worlds have groups of separatists. These aren't as bad as some."

Trance had been very quiet through all of this and I saw Harper turn around to check that she was still with us. I had thought that she had been looking a little paler than usual, but he put it down to the light, or maybe the fact that I hadn't had my sensors checked in a while, and carried on.

I was soon proved wrong however. As soon as we reached the Andromeda, Trance lurched at the doors.

"Are you okay?" asked Beka

"I don't think so," whimpered Trance as she ran for the nearest waste disposal unit.

She threw up. Violently.

By this time Beka and Harper were both anxiously beside her and when she stood up they both reached out to steady her. Almost immediately she was kneeling back down and vomiting again, then again. I quickly called some of my bots who brought a stretcher down from medical and we took Trance up there, even as she kept being sick.

By now she had nothing to throw back up except bile, but still she kept retching. This went on for hours, anything she ate or drank, was immediately chucked back up. I had to put liquid and minerals back into her system intravenously but despite my own and Beka's best efforts, she kept getting worse. Her temperature was rising and nothing would bring it down. Eventually the retching stopped as Trance slipped into unconsciousness, but the temperature went on rising and although I knew almost nothing of her physiology I knew that this couldn't carry on.

Beka had sat beside Trance throughout all of this, looking increasingly worried and trying to do whatever she could to help her condition. She chewed her lip nervously and turned to me.

"What's causing this? She was fine this morning. And now…"

She gestured helplessly to the inert body on the bed. I knew exactly what she meant but I didn't know any more than she did. I had run numerous scans but couldn't find anything that seemed to be reacting with her body.

I didn't know what to do and was frustrated that I couldn't come up with a solution that could save her life. At that point Harper burst in impatiently, Beka had sent him out as he hadn't really been helping but all ha wanted to do was look after his friend. I decided to send him to Trances room to see if he could find any explanation in there, I didn't really expect there to be anything there but it seemed to be the only way of making him leave.

I monitored him on internal sensors as he made his way to Trances quarters, he obviously knew that we were just trying to keep him doing something out of the way but was determined to make the best of it.

Half-heartedly he looked around the room but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. So Harper slumped down in a convenient chair and picked up the nearest flexi, which Trance had been reading before we left for the ceremonial dinner and dance. She was only on the second page so Harper settled down to read. It seemed to be about the beliefs and rituals that this planet had and there were _a lot_. I have never really understood why organics cling to these systems of belief when there is no proof, but every race seems to have at least one of these deities or spiritual leaders somewhere in their world. The Passetlitten seemed to have one of the most complex and rigidly adhered to that I have ever encountered.

Whilst I was thinking about this Harper had been rapidly working his way through the data, not really reading or taking in the whole text, just letting his eyes wander over the page seeing one or two words. Suddenly he sat bolt upright eyes glued to the page in front of him.

"Those idiots!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The five of us stood around the command deck listening to Harper's explanation of why Trance was so sick. I was still monitoring her but she seemed to be almost comatose and I was out of ideas to help. Still, I was finding it hard to believe that what Harper was saying could be true of such a seemingly stable and sensible race.

"So basically what your saying is that because of some thousand year old legend all guests are fed food with this contagion in and it… and it only affects the one who wants to destroy their world?" said Dylan, disbelievingly.

"Yup, that's it. For some reason it picked on Trance. I mean can you see her destroying a planet?" answered Harper.

"Well then we just won't tell them that she's sick from their food. Simple." replied Beka, obviously very annoyed with the Passetlitten for doing this in the first place.

"I think I might have managed to locate a cure," I cut in at this point, "there seems to be a facility on the planet which may have it but I doubt it will be easy to get to and they wont want us to take it."

"Well maybe we should just talk to them and explain that this has all been a huge mistake?" asked Dylan.

Various musters of reluctant agreement came from the rest of the crew and he nodded, satisfied.

"Open a comm. link to Ambassador Recket."

"Opening comm. link."

"Ah, Captain Hunt, how lovely to speak to you again, and so soon. What can I help you with?"

"Mr. Ambassador, lovely to speak to you too. I am afraid that we have a slight problem though. One of my crew is ill and we believe it may have something to do with the food you provided at the banquet. Would it be possible for you to give us any information?"

"Your crew member is ill from the banquet? Then this is very bad, very bad indeed. There is an old legend that a destroyer will come to our world and the ingredients we added to the food is the only way of stopping them."

"We are aware of the legend, Mr. Recket, but I think there must have been some mistake. The crew member affected, Trance, is no threat to you or your people. Surely if this 'destroyer' were to come then your planet they would be advanced enough to repel an attack… and it is only a very old story. Why not give us a cure and we can continue negotiations."

"I'm afraid I cant do that, it may be old but we believe that it is still relevant to our society. We would of course be delighted to continue talks with you but there is no way I will release the antidote. Good day."

Dylan turned away from the console looking extremely annoyed. I could understand how he felt. Why were the people of this world so immersed in a few lines of old text? I turned a Beka spoke.

"Okay, we tried the talking bit, it didn't work, I'd say its time for plan B."

"And what would plan B be?" questioned Dylan, looking slightly amused at Beka's impatience.

"We go down there and forcibly remove the cure from their keeping before bringing it u here and administering it to Trance. They may not like it but I doubt any other way will work." Interrupted Tyr.

"Alright plan B," said Dylan, "Tyr you go down and find this antidote, but you will do it with minimum firepower casualties. This will be a covert mission and the government need never know until they next go and check on it."

Tyr nodded and left to go and prepare. I also left to check up on Trances condition, although I could see how she was doing from anywhere on the ship I felt better when I was there and could see for myself. Her condition seemed stable for now but as she was in a coma that wasn't much of a comfort.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

I monitored Tyr's progress through the atmosphere with my sensors and relayed the news that he had arrived at his coordinates safely to the rest of the crew. The first stage of the plan was completed and all we could do now was wait. I started checking radio traffic on the planet as I thought this might help determine his position. If an alert suddenly went out for all military personnel to go to the base where we had located the cure then plan C would come into effect. I would send tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee down to the planet and we would see what effect that had on them.

Three hours later and there was still no sign of him and nothing seemed to be wrong on the planet. Everyone was starting to get restless. Beka may have not realised it but she had checked the controls five times without noticing the problem with them. Harper especially seemed worried, as this was Trance's only hope. I had tried to find a cure but as I couldn't even find the cause of the illness there was nothing I could really do.

Suddenly a burst of radiation was directed at from the planet down below, I felt dizzy and blinded, my sensors were offline and I was slowly losing control of my systems. I don't know what they had done but it was bad. My crew immediately realised something was wrong and I tried to explain what had happened but I couldn't think straight everything seemed to be happening a long way off. I finally managed to get them to understand and out all of my effort into maintaining environmental systems, maybe they would be able to do something, anything.

I was conscious enough to feel the jolt as my hanger doors were forced open and I was boarded. Internal defences were offline and there was nothing I could do but lie there, helpless, whilst around me everyone tried to work out what to do. It was decided that Harper would stay here and try to get m systems back and Beka and Dylan would go and try to fight off the intruders and protect Trance from them as there was no doubt that she was who they had come for.

I don't know how long I was there, helpless, not even able to access my sensors to see what was happening in my own corridors. Harper, who had been working on the other side of the deck, looked up sharply and came over to stand between me and the door. I didn't know why at first, and then I heard it, the sound of heavy gunfire, getting closer.

My doors were blasted open and Beka came flying in backwards before landing with a sickening thump, her blond hair was matted with blood and she wasn't moving, I couldn't even tell if she was breathing.

Harper was torn between helping Beka and going to fight with Dylan and in that moment of indecisiveness Dylan was shot, a gaping wound opening up.

As Harper turned to fire a blast hit one of my instrument panels and it exploded knocking him to the ground. He lay on top of me, deathly still, and all I cold see was blood, everywhere.

As I thought back over the way in which I had failed my friends a tear slowly traced its way down my cheek before falling silently to the deck and I knew that there was now no hope.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

I lay there silently as the attack team marched over to my consoles, never even looking at the bodies of my friends littered carelessly over the deck. My systems were getting worse by the second and I knew that they had to have some way to reverse the effects as they wouldn't be stupid enough to strand themselves in a vacuum, would they?

I knew that my assumption had been correct when I saw their ambassador sweep onto my command centre as if he owned me and slowly, ever so slowly, I could feel the fog clearing from my mind. The Passetlitten were talking but I couldn't make out words and images were still quite vague, they seemed to be in no rush to leave now their job was done but still they made no move to help any of my crew.

On the edges of my senses I realised that something wasn't right, something was missing and the Ambassador seemed to be quite agitated about something.

"…must find...not on ship…dangerous."

I was still too confused to understand what he meant but the last word stuck in my mind, then, finally, I made the connection; Tyr wasn't here. He was on the planet. He would be back soon. As that final thought came to me I allowed a small smile to cross my lips at the image of what would happen on his return.

I didn't have long to just imagine, quite soon – as far as I cold tell – I heard the sound of gunfire coming from the corridor. After what seemed like an eternity he finally reached the door and blasted straight through it. For a second he stopped as he surveyed the scene before him, then he turned with even more fury on the Ambassador and his bodyguards who were the only ones left on the bridge.

As he raised his gun to shoot I saw what was going to happen and new I couldn't let it. It would be against everything that we had stood for.

As he stepped forward and the Ambassador cowered I summoned all my strength and managed to croak out one word,

"No"

As I said it I thought, just for a second that Harper shifted a little from where he lay, then I realised it wasn't possible, it had been too long.

Tyr glanced down, surprised, then turned his full attention back on the frightened shapes against the wall. Slowly he stepped forward and brought his gun around to point at each of them in turn. He stepped forward a little more until he was right in front of Ambassador Recket and picked him up by his robes.

"You have no idea ho much I want to kill you." Tyr growled, slamming him against the wall before swiftly knocking out him and the bodyguards who were by that time shaking in fear.

Swiftly he turned around and checked on each of the other people on command his face growing graver every time.

"They're all still alive but unless we get them to medical immediately then there will be nothing anybody can do for them. Summon some of you bots up here to carry them."

"Cant, too weak."

"I don't care, right now you are the only other conscious person here so you had better just try."

I didn't reply, it would take up too much concentration; instead I somehow managed to send instructions to two of my bots to come up here and get Harper and Dylan as Tyr had already picked up Beka and was cradling her in his arms.

"Is the way there clear?" Tyr snapped.

I knew he was just worried about Beka but didn't he realise how helpless I already felt? Summoning the last of my strength I turned on my sensors in short bursts along the route he would take.

"None on route. Three medical." As my bots arrived and started to proceed to medical I put them into emergency power and carefully shut down all non-essential systems – including me – for repair.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

I don't know how long it was before I was next aware of anything, but I finally felt almost back to normal.

Scanning the medical bay I found Harper, Dylan, Beka and Trance all lying completely still on beds, their skin ghostly white against the covers. I noticed that all of the bodies of the intruders had been locked in the brig and realized I must have been out for longer than I thought.

"Tyr," my disembodied voice spoke, "How are they?"

"They'll make it," he replied sounding tired, "I managed to get the antidote into Trance before it was too late and I've stabilized the others."

I hurried in, still covered in blood, keen to help in any way I could but there seemed to be nothing else we could do except hope and wait.

"So what happened down on the planet?" I asked Tyr, "Did this attack have anything o do with you?"

"It may have done, on my way out some idiot guard stumbled upon me and decided to try and be brave, unfortunately whilst doing so he sounded the alarm. They were probably all too eager to jump at the chance of taking over this warship and killing the supposed destroyer of their world in the process."

"How do humans manage to have such belief in an age old story when they normally can't believe what is right in front of them."

"In my experience it is because it isn't right in front of them so can't be argued over to its death."

I just shook my head, however close I was to a human, all the emotions and problems, I still had a problem with the way that they seemed so illogical most of the time although I was beginning to understand a little better.

I looked over at the four other members of my crew and knew that even though it might be a struggle they'd pull through in the end.

Eleven hours and six major scares later (three of them from Harper) and all of my friends were finally awake and looking well.

"So what will happen now?" I asked Dylan. The government was in turmoil, Ambassador Recket had been its backbone and now it was fast crumbling away. The people who seemed to be doing best were the libertarians who were doing well in keeping the everyday running of the planet happening.

"We will call for the trial of the men we captured, I'm sure that the government will be happy to oblige, then we will help them get back on their feet, if they want us to that is, I think that there are probably some good ideas of their own down there."

"So in a way it has all turned out for the best." I said, then waited for the response I new was coming…

"Oh yes, all for the best, just getting shot at and nearly dying doesn't count for much then! That's not saying I didn't mind you waiting on me hand and foot Rom-doll."

And I didn't have long to wait as Harper cut in sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes, then smiled quietly, everything was back to normal.


End file.
